I recently purchased the Holstein Ipe Wood Violin Bow as an upgrade from my FM carbon fiber bow. I sorely needed a re-hair and after an unfortunate accident I figured it was truly time to look for an upgrade. I've always wanted to use a wood bow however I didn't want to break the pocket book and I didn't want to go for the "cheap" brazil wood bow. After much debating and counting and triple counting the piggy bank I settled for the Holstein Ipe Wood Violin Bow and I was not disappointed!

Now I did end up getting another FM carbon fiber to have as a back up off of amazon (They 1 day shipping on a weekend :D) so I actually got to play them side by side with the same rosin (bakers rosin if anyone cares) and new hair. I can say while I still love the FM carbon fiber my violin really speaks with the wood bow in a way thats almost hard to describe. It defiantly seems to have more vibration with the wood bow, it deepens and resonates the lower strings and tones down the shrillness but brings out the brilliance on the upper strings....if that makes sense... I also think the middle tones that had seemed to be absent (and had me considering getting another violin) have suddenly popped up and made their presence known!

It has been instant love I tell ya! Who knew something as simple as a bow change could really re-invigorate my want to practice and practice and play some more! Once the new strings settle in i'll record a side by side of some open strings so ya'll can hear the difference (if it can be heard on a recording and not just felt). So if you're sitting on the fence about a wood bow, while I haven't tried the more expensive ones out of pernambuco, you can't go wrong with the Holstein Ipe Wood Violin Bow!!! 😀 Someday I'll save up for the awesome Holstein 3* pernambuco but for now I'm fit as a fiddle and happy as a clam 😀

What bows are you all playing with? Whats your favorite?

oh and FM I will be adding a review on your shop soon 😀

Lead me, Follow me, or get out of my way!

~General George S. Patton

BillyG

Brora, North-east Scotland

June 25, 2017 - 7:11 am

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rockinglr33 said
...... So if you're sitting on the fence about a wood bow, while I haven't tried the more expensive ones out of pernambuco, you can't go wrong with the Holstein Ipe Wood Violin Bow!!! 😀 Someday I'll save up for the awesome Holstein 3* pernambuco but for now I'm fit as a fiddle and happy as a clam 😀

Congrats on the new bow !

And ROFL @"happy as a clam" - that's a new one to me! The UK equivalent is not quite as endearing - being - "Happy as a pig in s**t" LOLOL

What bows are you all playing with? Whats your favorite?
oh and FM I will be adding a review on your shop soon 😀

My only experience has been with the FM CF bows, and one strange "composite" thing that came with my EV I think it has synthetic hair..... it never gets used LOL....

My best fiddle at the moment is the FM Concert, and I am currently in the process of getting a new violin from FiddlerShop. At the same time, I have my eye on a pernambuco bow - and - well I'll have some discussion with @Fiddlerman before I settle on this - but I have in mind the Holstein 2 star.

I have heard the same as you describe from a number of people. While the CF bow is a general good-all-round-work-horse, I'm becoming convinced from what I have heard from others that a good pb bow opens up a whole new degree of subtlety, nuances to the tone (and indeed general play-ability) on probably any instrument...

So, I too am looking forward to this "next step" in my progression as a fiddler, and on occasion, a violinist !

And ROFL @"happy as a clam" - that's a new one to me! The UK equivalent is not quite as endearing - being - "Happy as a pig in s**t" LOLOL

@BillyG Bah hahahah oh I must say it doesn't have as good a ring but oh man does it have a good imagery hahah. I shall remember that for the guys at work. we are a bit crass some days and that'll be a perfect one liner to spring on them!

My best fiddle at the moment is the FM Concert, and I am currently in the process of getting a new violin from FiddlerShop. At the same time, I have my eye on a pernambuco bow - and - well I'll have some discussion with @Fiddlerman before I settle on this - but I have in mind the Holstein 2 star

It was a hard debate between the Holstein Pernambuco and the Ipe wood but at the end my bank account agreed with the Ipe wood. One day I shall upgrade to their Pernambuco but I'll take what I can get 😀 .

Oh and it was funny when I went to rosin my bow it was like the bow hair was too slick to grab the rosin. After some research the great internet said to scrape some rosin off into a powder and "prime" the bow hair. I just scraped some on the cake and left it there since it was easy to apply and the bow hair rosined right up! It was the first time that happened to me for new hair but just an fyi if it seems to not want to co-operate!

I also bought my upgrade violin from fiddlershop. I have the GCV Bourree. Its a beautiful violin but if I could I'd upgrade to one of their Holstein violins! (they weren't around when I purchased mine and it was a tough debate between the bourree and the soloist at the time!) I think everything violin I own minus my first violin and a case or two has come from Fiddlershop and I haven't regretted a single purchase. I have my eye on their rosin next but as I have about 4 cakes that I doubt I'll get through in the next 50 years I should probably hold myself back a bit, and I'm enjoying the bakers rosin I managed to get my hands on 😀

There's always just so many new things to try and experiment with! The choices are ENDLESS! lol. someday I'll upgrade both my bow and my violin but I feel they are many years in the future until I feel the need or have the funds to do so and who knows what beauties Fiddlershop will have by then! (I think I rambled on quite a bit but its so nice to be reinvigorated to play and talk violin after an extended break!)

Lead me, Follow me, or get out of my way!

~General George S. Patton

RockingLR33

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June 25, 2017 - 12:52 pm

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Ok here is a side by side sound. The Ipe wood is first then the carbon fiber as I tell you on the first track. The second track is the strings side by side with no voice again first wood then carbon fiber.

It's not a huge difference from the recording but I think it's more of a feel difference with the bow. Kinda hard to describe. The carbon fiber is still an awesome bow but the Ipe wood seems to have just a bit more vibration. It seems to bring out more mid tones at least under my ear. If you'd like to hear something else let me know i can play some simple songs for those who may be considering it, but i probably don't do it near as justice as FM would do. over all still very impressed with the bow and am incredibly pleased with my purchase. Now i'm just curious if it'll "break in" like the violin does 😀